Catch-up post. Mild, Saison, Oktoberfest

I've fallen behind on the blog. It happens. Life. Since the last post, I've brewed 2 ales, built a fermentation chamber and brewed Oktoberfest using Kolsh yeast, so technically also an ale in a lager costume.

Brews

English Pale Mild

This brew was based off a recipe from Experimental Homebrewing's session recipe collection. Specifically, Drew Beachum's Oat Mild.

Grain/Sugars:

6.0 lbs. Maris Otter

2.0 lbs. Oat Malt

0.6 lbs. Crystal 60

Hops:

0.10 oz. Nugget @60. (A: 16.8%)
0.22 oz. Perle @30. (A: .5%)

Yeast:

WLP005 British Ale

Extras:

0.5 tsp Wyeast nutrient

1 tablet Whirlfloc

 B

Saison with Hibiscus

This brew was also based off a recipe from Experimental Homebrewing. This we Beachum's goto saison recipe, Saison Experimentale. This one is made extra special with the addition of family grown and dried hibiscus flowers. My awesome parents plucked and dried each and every hibiscus blossom from their garden all summer long. This was also the second time I've use Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison. The first time, I followed standard procedure and experienced the famous 'stall' from this yeast. This time, I followed Drew's open fermentation procedure and low and behold, the yeast attenuated all the way down to 1.004 in about 2 weeks. Amazing.

Grain/Sugars:

8.75 lbs. Pilsner

0.50 lbs. Flaked Wheat
1.00 lbs. White table sugar

Hops:

0.50 oz. Magnum@60. (A: 12.9%)

Yeast:

Wyeast 3724

Extras:

0.5 tsp Wyeast nutrient

1 tablet Whirlfloc

0.6oz Dried Hibiscus flowers in secondary for 3 days

(m)Oktoberfest

My favorite brew season is fall because of this style. I absolutely love it. Until now however, I've never had the correct temperature control to even attempt it. This is the first brew to test out the new chamber. I choose this recipe instead of an all-in lager to take it though it's paces. This brew was based off a recipe from Brülosophy author Marshall Schott. 

Grain/Sugars:

5 lbs. Vienna

2 lbs. 8oz Munich
2 lbs. Pilsner
8 oz Crystal 60
8 oz Honey Malt
2 oz Special B

Hops:

1.0 oz German Hallertau (whole leaf)@60.
1.0 oz Czech Saaz @60
0.5 oz Czech Saaz @15

Yeast:

WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch (2 packs)

Extras:

0.5 tsp Wyeast nutrient

1 tablet Whirlfloc

Build

I found a great site with instructions for a fermentation chamber build. Followed this as a general guide and adjusted to my needs. So far, it's working like a charm!

Slamable Saison - brew day

The Brew

I decided after the last brew's low ABV that perhaps this was a good trend. So I am formally kicking off my Summer of Sessions. So every brew I make to drink this summer will be less than 5% ABV. (One exception will be a mid summer Russian Imperial Stout brew, but that one doesn't really count because we won't drink that until Christmas time). So if the Berliner style was the first, then beer number two in this Summer of Sessions is a take on an old favorite from last Spring, a saison made with the fermentation monster Wyeast 3711 French Saison strain.

The Recipe

Grain/Sugars:

4.5 lbs. Pilsner

1.0 lbs. Wheat

0.75 lbs. Vienna

0.25 lbs. Acidulated Malt

0.25 lbs. Flaked Oats

0.25 lbs. Flaked Corn

Hops:

1.0 oz. Willamette @60. (A: 5.1%, B: 3.8%) 20 ibu

1.0 oz. Czech Saaz @10. (A: 3.6%, B: 4.2%) 5 ibu

Yeast:

Wyeast 3711 French Saison

Extras:

0.5 tsp Wyeast nutrient

1 tablet Whirlfloc

Brewday

Brewday was a cloudy Saturday afternoon made available by rained out baseball and soccer. Lemons to lemonade! Setup solo to start it off in the garage. I decided with such a small grain bill to use the BIAB setup today, so i heated up 8.75 gallons of water to about 152F and mashed in for 60 minutes. During the mash got all the boil additions measured and even started on this very write-up.

At 60 minutes fired up burned and started mash-out. Pulled the bag, light squeeze and fired up burner to full. Measured 8 gallons of 1.030 preboil wort. With the high percentage of pilsner malt, the recipe called for a 90 minute boil. Added hops per schedule, chilled, pitched yeast and set to ferment.